Device setup guide

How to Setup IPTV on PC: Windows and Mac

This guide shows how to setup IPTV on PC with two free players, VLC for a quick playlist-link setup and Kodi for a TV-style channel list, on Windows and on a Mac. It also covers a Mac App Store option and says what we do not recommend yet.

Editorial review: 30 October 2026, against VideoLAN’s documentation, the Kodi PVR IPTV Simple Client project page and the Mac App Store listing. We have not tested these steps on every Windows or macOS version.

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Illustration of a monitor and a laptop for the how to setup IPTV on PC guide for Windows and Mac

Before you start

What You Need Before You Setup IPTV on a Computer

Have these ready on the computer.

Your connection details

Your connection details will be provided after your order has been processed. Keep them where you can copy them exactly.

An M3U login

VLC and Kodi take a playlist link. Choose M3U at checkout (one playlist link) rather than Xtream Codes if you plan to use them.

A stable connection

A wired connection is usually steadier than Wi-Fi for streaming.

Good to know: MAG boxes are not supported. Players are third-party software, and any licence an app asks for is separate from your streaming subscription.

Step 1

How to Setup IPTV on PC: Choose a Player for Windows or Mac

Before you learn how to setup IPTV on PC, pick one player. VLC and Kodi are free according to their own pages; the Mac option is a store app with its own terms.

VLC

  • Quickest: open your playlist link and play
  • Windows and macOS builds on the official VideoLAN site
  • Free and open source, according to VideoLAN
  • Takes an M3U playlist link

Kodi

  • TV-style channel list through the PVR IPTV Simple Client add-on
  • Reads an M3U playlist; guide data is a separate XMLTV file
  • Takes longer to set up than VLC
  • Free to use

HOT Player (Mac only)

  • Mac App Store, developer STE DIGI VIBES SARL
  • Requires macOS 12.0 or later
  • M3U and M3U8 playlists, per the Mac listing
  • Free with in-app purchases, including a one-year subscription from the developer
Not recommended yet. We do not recommend an app for Windows beyond VLC and Kodi: a Hot Player listing exists in the Microsoft Store, but we could not verify its developer. TiviMate is an Android application and is not for computers. IPTV Smarters Pro is no longer one of our recommended players and this guide has no steps for it.

Step 2, VLC

How to Setup IPTV on PC With VLC

VLC is a media player that opens a network address you give it.

1

Download VLC

Get VLC from the official VideoLAN website. It offers separate downloads for Windows and for macOS (Universal and Apple Silicon).

2

Open a network stream

On Windows, VideoLAN’s documentation says to open the Media menu and choose Open Network Stream. On a Mac, VideoLAN’s wiki lists Open Network in the File menu. Menu names can differ between VLC versions.

3

Enter your M3U link

The Open Media window shows the Network tab. Paste your full M3U link into the text box. Check that nothing was added before or after it.

4

Play

Click Play and give VLC time to connect. If the playlist loads, its entries appear in VLC’s playlist, where you can pick a channel.

5

If it does not play

Copy the link again, check it is complete, and confirm the computer is online. VLC reports an error if the address cannot be opened.

Step 2, Kodi

How to Setup IPTV on PC With Kodi

This is how to setup IPTV on PC with a TV-style channel list. Kodi uses the PVR IPTV Simple Client add-on, whose project page describes the settings below.

1

Install Kodi

Download Kodi from the official Kodi website and install it on your Windows PC or Mac.

2

Add the PVR IPTV Simple Client

In Kodi, find the PVR IPTV Simple Client add-on and install it. Kodi’s add-on pages list it for current Kodi versions; menu names differ between Kodi versions.

3

Open the add-on settings

Under General, set Location to a remote path, then enter your M3U link in the M3U play list URL field. You can choose whether Kodi keeps a local copy of the playlist.

4

Guide data (optional)

The add-on reads the programme guide from a separate XMLTV file. Add a guide address only if you have one; this guide does not provide one.

5

Save and wait

Save the settings and give Kodi time to load the channel list for the first time.

Step 2, Mac option

HOT Player From the Mac App Store

An alternative to VLC and Kodi on a Mac.

1

Find the app

Open the App Store on your Mac and search for Hot Player. Check that the developer on the listing is STE DIGI VIBES SARL, and that your macOS version meets the requirement shown.

2

Get the app

Select Get and open the app when it finishes.

3

Add your playlist

Add your M3U link in the app’s playlist screen. The Mac listing mentions M3U and M3U8 playlists.

4

Read the terms

The app is free to download with in-app purchases, including a one-year subscription from the developer. That is separate from your streaming subscription.

Your login

M3U or Xtream Codes: How to Setup IPTV on PC With Your Login

The login type you choose at checkout decides which players you can use.

Illustration comparing the two login types: an M3U playlist link, or an Xtream Codes server address with username and password
The two login types offered at checkout. On a computer with VLC or Kodi, choose M3U.
  • Choose M3U at checkout if you plan to use VLC or Kodi.
  • Paste the full playlist link, with no spaces before or after.
  • Do not share the link publicly: it identifies your subscription.
  • Check the player’s own page for the login types it accepts.

Connections and devices are different

The checkout lets you select 1 to 5 simultaneous connections; one is included and the cost of extra ones is shown before you pay. A connection is a screen streaming at the same moment. How many devices have a player installed is a separate matter, decided by the app, not by this website. If you plan to use one login on several devices, tell us before you order.

If something goes wrong

Windows and Mac IPTV Troubleshooting

If you are stuck on how to setup IPTV on PC, check these in order before you reinstall anything.

VLC will not open the link

Copy the link again, make sure it is complete, and check the computer is online.

No channels in Kodi

Check the Location is a remote path, the M3U play list URL is correct, then save and wait for the first load.

The Kodi add-on is missing

Menu names differ between Kodi versions. Search the add-ons for PVR IPTV Simple Client.

The login type does not fit

VLC and Kodi need an M3U link. If you chose Xtream Codes, message us before you order again.

Playback stutters

See the buffering and freezing guide.

Still stuck

Message us with your order number, your Windows or macOS version and the player you used. Contact us.

Questions

Windows and Mac IPTV Questions and Answers

Choose M3U. VLC opens a playlist link, and Kodi’s PVR IPTV Simple Client reads an M3U playlist, so an M3U link is what both need. Xtream Codes is a server address, a username and a password, which these two players do not take as a login. You choose the type when you order.

VLC is the simpler route: open the link and play. Kodi takes longer to set up but gives a TV-style channel list and can use a separate guide file. Pick one; you do not need both.

No. TiviMate is an Android application, meant for Android TV, Google TV and other Android-based devices. See our Android TV guide.

Not yet. A Hot Player listing exists in the Microsoft Store, but we could not verify its developer or details, so we do not recommend it on Windows. VLC and Kodi are the routes this guide supports.

Its Mac App Store listing names STE DIGI VIBES SARL as developer, requires macOS 12.0 or later, and mentions M3U and M3U8 playlists. It is free with in-app purchases, including a one-year subscription, and it says it is a media player only. Confirm the details on the listing for your Mac before you rely on it.

VLC and Kodi are free, according to their own pages. Other apps may ask for a licence, activation or subscription from their developer. That is separate from your streaming subscription and is not provided by us. Check each app’s listing for current terms.

The checkout lets you select 1 to 5 simultaneous connections; one is included and the extra cost is shown before you pay. A connection is a screen streaming at the same moment, which is separate from how many devices have a player installed.

No. MAG boxes are not supported.

Sources

Official Sources Used for This Guide

Checked on 30 October 2026. These are the projects’ and stores’ own pages; menus, versions and terms can change.

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